Pickup device and information recording apparatus

Abstract

In a pickup device used for a drive apparatus of an optical disc, a storage element is provided. The storage element stores individual characteristic information associated with the pickup device. For example, the storage element stores the individual characteristic information associated with the level of the recording light waveform which is output from the LD provided in the pickup device. In recording information, the microcomputer in the drive apparatus obtains the individual characteristic information from the storage element in the pickup device and executes information recording by using an optimum write strategy determined in consideration of the individual characteristic information. Accordingly, the difference in characteristics of pickup devices is removed, and improvement and stabilization of the recording characteristic can be realized.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A pickup device comprising a storage element which stores individual information associated with the pickup device.  
     
     
         2 . The pickup device according to  claim 1 , wherein the individual information is associated with an individual characteristic of the pickup device.  
     
     
         3 . The pickup device according to  claim 2 , further comprising a beam output unit which has a light source and which drives the light source to radiate a light beam according to a recording light waveform, wherein the individual information is characteristic information associated with a level of the light beam.  
     
     
         4 . The pickup device according to  claim 3 , wherein the characteristic information associated with the level of the light beam is prepared for each recording light waveform.  
     
     
         5 . The pickup device according to  claim 1 , wherein the individual information is associated with a recording condition which is determined based on the individual characteristic of the pickup device.  
     
     
         6 . An information recording apparatus comprising a pickup device and a control unit which controls the pickup device, wherein the pickup device comprises a storage element which stores individual information associated with the pickup device, and wherein the control unit comprises: 
 a determining unit which determines an optimum recording condition based on the individual information read out from the storage element; and    an information recording unit which controls the pickup device according to the optimum recording condition to record information.